Mumbyebye!

We are sat here in what feels like an attic room with air-con, mecca and virgin mary effegies above us. And ship portholes to look out onto a back room. Ahh India!

This is our last blog from India, but we promise to keep telling you how good India is when we get back. And will also blog about our other adventures we have planned for 2008. Watch this space!

I have just spent some time in Benetton and bought a few rather nice items. Fi has been trying on silly hats and wheeling those annoying bags around like you get at the airports!

Now we are going out for a drink and to toast to our latest 'holiday' here.. It's been really good to catch up on our favourite things here, and in South India. India is growing as a power, with changes in the last 3 years when were here last.. Fi: There are now tv monitors in the big stations (with all the new stickers still on them), billboards in big cities are now no longer painted but made from print but you know what the people are as lovely as ever and the only thing to do in India especially if your not sure or if it goes a bit wrong - smile................ Jim: and dont forget if you look lost, someone will say "yes?" or "Can I help, coming from which country?"

See you soon Mother India!

Tamil (Nadu) Tastic

We are now in Mamallapuram and relaxing by the pool and beach - heaven.

Catching up with the locals again and great to see how things are improving after the tsunami. Although the numbers of orphans have increased, but they still smile so beautifully. It is amazing to see that all they have been through life still goes on.

We are staying back at the same place again - hotel Lakshmi and have a great room. The staff remember us which is incredible as so many people pass through here, mind you Jim does have a reputation to keep up as he is always joking with the local staff.

I have to say that our hard core traveling days are not happening during this holiday - taxis and luxury all they way - well not as luxurious as you would expect, but good for us and its not a tent or the back of the van!!!

The food is still great although we have both been ill - it was our pay back for rescuing a fellow traveller who was very ill on the train - we took her in our taxi and found her somewhere to stay and then we caught her bugs - nice......

We are still enjoying the sunshine and its back to Mumbai tomorrow for SHOPPIN.... YIPEEEEE (says fifi).

Jim here: There are times everyday where it feels like we are million miles away from europe, the smells, the sound of indian music one minute and temple music the next.. Just venturing out of the hostel/hotel/beach bar your senses are overloaded with the colour of India.. Something which we truly both love and almost definitely will crave after our trip.. just like the last time..

And to all cider fans: The Revolution is here!!!

Over and out, will do a blog post in Mumbai once we arrive. Hope everyone reading is well!

Tilda the Riceboat

24 hours on a riceboat for 2 with all our food, drink and the best scenary in the world - cannot be bad hey! We had a wonderful overnight stay on our rice boat - Tilda. We saw our next home, a hut on its own island with 2 canoes parked outside surrounded by coconut trees and mangroves. Perfect!

We finally managed to drag ourselves away from the beach and do some exploring. After our rice boat trip we heading to the mostly southerly point in India, Kanyakumari. We saw a wonderful sunrise with the rest of the crowds of pilgrims and it really was like glastonbury festival, cheers when the sun popped up. The temple in Kanyakumari is magical and as we were walking in I was pushed out of the way by a goat - only in India!!

The trains are still as great as ever and a really good way to meet with locals and see the amazing landscapes that pass by. We are now in Maduari, the temple city and off to the east coast tomorrow.

I feel like I am eating my way around India - it really is veggie heaven

Beaches and sunshine - at last

We are finally back in the lovely village of Varkala in South Kerela. It is still as beautiful as I remember. I hate to say that it is fantastic lying on a warm beach and swimming in the sea in January. I have been eating masala dosa's again, yipeee.

Me and Jim are still recovering from jetlag, new year and a long year of work so it is lovely to be able to relax again. We have been having adventures in ricksaws and sitting on the beach cliff drinking special tea (beer to you and me)

New year in Mumbai was as very funny, we stayed in a bar with a great mix of locals and tourist. I'm not sure who got the most excited at 12am Jim or the locals around us, I think that Jim encouraged them to sing, dance and jump around.

The only downer is that we have had our flat broken into in Brighton. We are still not sure what is missing but our poor neighbour, Michelle and Jim's brother Alun are having to deal with it all. We are insured and it certainly isn't going to ruin our holiday.

Anyway that is it for now, I must get back to the beach, the sea is just too nice not to jump in.

Sending you all some Indian sunshine, oh and happy new year

lots of loveFi and Jim xxxxxxxx